


Message Heard

by TokyoTeddyWolf



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Everybody Cries, Langst, M/M, READ MESSAGE RECEIVED FIRST OR THIS WONT MAKE SENSE, Shiro cries, angst I kid you not, mainly Shiro pov, minor Black Lion chatter, sequel to Message Received
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-30 20:00:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10883910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TokyoTeddyWolf/pseuds/TokyoTeddyWolf
Summary: Sequel to Message Received, so read that first before this one please!"You guys need to see this."The video was not what they had expected.





	Message Heard

Shiro didn't realize what had happened, at first. He was taking Red back to the Castle after the battle when suddenly Coran was shouting something about the wormhole being compromised, and Lance was screaming at them to move, to get out of the way.

He turned Black around to see what was going on, only to watch in horror as the Blue Lion jumped in front of an ion cannon laser and took the hit directly to the head. The force of the blast sent the huge machine careening backwards, head over tail spinning and crashing out of the wormhole.

Shiro distantly registered Pidge's screaming and Keith's panicked shouts, because he was too busy dropping Red and shooting off to the spot Lance had disappeared though.

Lance, the ever smiling, ever cheerful, ever comforting Blue Paladin that Shiro and Keith loved. They had been talking to each other about possibly including him to their relationship, because both Red and Black Paladins adored the Blue Paladin (no matter how much Keith denied his feelings at first, tried to hide them. It didn't work.) so much.

But now Lance was suddenly _gone_ , silent, his comm nothing but static. Shiro's mind was shut down, body moving on nothing but blind desperation, Pidge right behind him and shouting something about locking onto the Blue Lion's signal as they dove through the wormhole, appearing in a system of nearly pure ice. Beige, blue, white, purple and gray planets glimmered all over, and had Shiro not been in the middle of a minor panic attack he probably would have appreciated the view.

Then Pidge suddenly dashed away, the Green Lion speeding towards a certain planet covered in blue-white ice and cream colored sand, startling Shiro from his heavy breathing for a moment.

"Shiro! For fuck's sake answer me! I've got his signal, hurry up!" Pidge barked, snapping the leader of Voltron out of his panicked state. He didn't even reprimand her language, he was too shaken up.

He gunned Black's engines, following Green at high speeds until they entered the planet's atmosphere, air burning around them, which meant oxygen, having to regretfully slow down so as not to crash into the ice.

"O-okay, Pidge, where is he?" Shiro asked, focusing on keeping it together. He had to stay strong, for Lance's sake. He was probably fine, maybe just waiting for them to find him...

"Shiro! Down there! It's Blue! Oh god, Shiro, she's all... her barrier isn't even up, that can't be good..." Pidge's rambling shook Shiro out of his thoughts.

He landed Black beside the broken down Lion, scrambling out of the cockpit and landing heavily on the ground with a grunt, ignoring the stinging, throbbing pain in his feet as he ran towards Blue's mouth, Pidge on his heels. Luckily Blue had crashed with the cockpit upright, but her jaw was sealed shut.

Shiro activated his Galran arm and, with a muttered apology, he cracked the huge maw open as wide as he could, motioning Pidge inside before he ducked out of the way, the jaw creaking as it lowered but didn't shut completely, miraculously. He wasn't even thinking as he dashed up the ramp after Pidge, only to skid to a stop when he saw the girl staring inside the main piloting control room, pale as a sheet and trembling.

"Pidge...? What's-" Pidge turned to Shiro, eyes wide in horror.

"S-Shiro- I- Lance, he-" she stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

Cold, icy claws of dread gripped his heart, and he stepped closer to the pilot seat, finally entering the room.

Blood. Lots and _lots_ of _blood_. The smell of it hit him like a train wreck, tangy iron and rust filling his nose and clogging his senses. Panic overwhelmed him and he shoved aside a panel of broken metal, finally reaching Lance through the blood soaked walls and floor, only to choke on a scream.

Lance's normally glowing tanned skin was dull and smeared in blood, eyes closed over those shining blue eyes, limp and unmoving. His armor was practically shattered, the helmet gone and the collar shield in pieces that happened to also be embedded in his neck. His chest plate was broken in two, a huge deep slash opening up his chest and lacerations decorating his body, a large part of his left shoulder pad caved in on itself and shards impaling his shoulder straight through and pinning him to his seat. He was absolutely soaked in blood, most of it still sluggishly dripping down his chin and chest wound.

Shiro brushed his fingers over the Blue Paladin's cheek shakily, before carefully feeling for a pulse.

Slow, so slow, it was almost gone, he counted 23 beats per minute and dropping. There was no time, they had to get him to a healing pod _now_.

Gritting his teeth and apologizing profusely for what he was about to do, he moved around the pilot chair to the left side, reaching and gripping the sharp piece of armor pinning Lance to his seat and yanked it free.

More blood splattered his hands and he had to focus on the pure adrenaline running through him in a rush to get Lance to safety rather than the panic attack that threatened to rip him apart. He could panic later, once Lance was in a healing pod.

Pidge had left already, unable to stand the sight of her brother figure so broken, and was already contacting Allura and the Castle, who were heading for their location immediately. The panic and terror in the Green Paladin's voice caused a sense of urgency for the others, Coran already programming a healing pod for the Blue Paladin. Shiro had scooped Lance up into a princess carry, moving him out of Blue to set him down somewhere cleaner in order to properly assess the damage.

Just as the Castle entered the star system, Shiro's panicked cry shook Pidge from her conversation with Hunk and Keith.

"Pidge, tell them to hurry! He- He's not _breathing!"_ Keith's face paled and Hunk fainted from sheer anxiety.

"We won't land in time, take Black and fly to the hangar, it's the quickest way!" Allura ordered, trying to hide her own terror behind authority.

Shiro needed no second bidding, tearing up the ramp to Black's cockpit with Lance in his arms, moving with a desperation Pidge had never seen before, the Black Lion taking off within seconds up to the Castle.

* * *

 Shiro bolted through the hallways to the med bay, Coran already set up and waiting.

"We need to remove the armor first, alright?" The older Altean warned the panicking Black Paladin, who nodded and reluctantly allowed Lance to leave his arms.

While Coran was removing the shards and putting Lance in the med suit, the others hurried in from behind Shiro, Pidge clinging to Hunk for comfort and Keith moving to carefully tangle his hand with Shiro's.

"Shiro, you're covered in blood..." Keith's voice cracked on the last word, and Shiro squeezed his boyfriend's hand, seeking something to ground him. Coran finished his work and maneuvered Lance to the pod, sealing him in.

Blood still smeared across his cheeks and chin, still beautiful, like he was sleeping.

Coran made a sudden choked noise.

"Coran? What is it?" Allura asked, the other Paladins moving closer in concern.

"Princess... his heart has stopped." Shiro blanked out, eyes wide, Keith gripping his hand so hard it was going numb, Pidge gasping and Hunk whispering " _No-"_ under his breath.

Allura inhaled sharply. "Can you restart it?" Coran nodded, already proceeding to do just that.

The monitor finally started beeping, slowly, faintly, but there. The relief in the room was palpable, but Lance wasn't out of danger yet.

"Shiro, you should go get cleaned up. Hunk and Keith will retrieve the Blue Lion." Allura murmured, placing a steady hand on the Black Paladin's shoulder.

Shiro nodded numbly and blindly moved out of the med bay. He didn't really remember showering or changing clothes, but he found himself back in front of Lance's pod, afraid to leave in case he stopped breathing or his heart stopped again.

Shiro was sitting crisscrossed as usual, in front of the pod, arms folded in his lap and slouching slightly as he stared at the face of the dear person he'd nearly lost.

It seems Pidge had the same idea, because suddenly she was sitting next to him, leaning on his shoulder with golden brown eyes trained on the on-screen vitals, the pressure of another body both a comfort and grounding to him.

She'd brought a green blanket with her, and he was grateful for the added weight of the fabric across his lap as she shared it with him, it kept him from going into a full blown panic attack now that the adrenaline had worn off. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, the warm sibling feeling a soothing strength for them both.

It wasn't long before the others joined in, each bringing their own blanket and sitting in front of the pod that held their precious teammate.

Keith draped a black blanket over Shiro's back and shoulders, tucking it securely over his boyfriend before settling in Shiro's lap, Pidge moving her blanket out of the way for him, his smaller size allowing him to easily tuck his head under Shiro's chin. Keith patted Shiro's knee reassuringly.

"He'll be okay, Shiro. He's healing now. Breathe." The Red Paladin murmured, smiling slightly when he felt the bigger man relax. Hunk was pressed against Shiro's other side, another presence to keep the panic at bay.

Shiro exhaled long and slow, counting breaths and watching Lance sleep until he felt like himself again.

"It was just... _horrible,_ there was just so much _blood,_ and then I checked his lungs and all I heard was sloshing and then he stopped breathing and all I could think about was getting him to _breathe_ again and I just-" Shiro cut himself off with a shaky inhale, eyes screwing shut so as not to full on burst into tears. He had to stay strong for the others, he couldn't let that huge dam of grief and sorrow and terror drown him-

Hunk reached over and pulled Shiro into a hug, Keith wrapping arms around his boyfriend's waist and Pidge hugging him from behind.

"It's okay Shiro, you can cry. I think we all need a good sobbing session right now anyways, don't you think?" The Yellow Paladin hiccuped, already with tears streaming down his face. He could feel Pidge soaking his back from where she was noisily crying into his shirt.

Shiro couldn't hold back anymore, and for the first time in years, he broke down sobbing. Right there in the safe security of his team's hold, wailing like a child and crying a near waterfall of tears, not alone in his grief and sorrow.

* * *

  
The first month was probably the worst. Both Shiro and Pidge had nightmares over the sight in that cockpit, the blood smeared walls and Lance's limp body all sliced up and broken like a mutilated doll.

Pidge would often visit Shiro at night to talk about it and comfort each other, usually ending up asleep in the med bay in front of Lance. Though the first week was when nobody slept in their own rooms. Everyone stayed in the medicine bay, afraid to leave Lance alone for too long in case he disappeared again. Shiro in particular.

Keith also stayed close, often pacing in front of the pod or staring at Lance for hours on end. He often hit the training deck to keep himself busy, but could barely stay away from the healing Paladin that entire month.

Month two was the worrying month. They forced themselves to go out on missions, they had no choice, the Galra wouldn't stop and give them a break just because Voltron was a man down. They were always short missions though, and everyone kept an eye on each other. They couldn't lose another precious teammate. And nobody could stand to be away from Lance for too long.

Allura was working herself to the bone, Coran hardly ever leaving the med bay and barely anyone remembered to take care of themselves anymore.

But then, something changed.

Hunk cleared his throat at dinner that night, not that anyone was really eating anyways, and gathered the attention of his team.

"So, uh, Lance won't be done healing for at least another month or so... and I haven't been able to bring myself to approaching Blue yet to fix her up. So I was thinking, maybe we could all help out and patch her up for when Lance gets out of the pod?" The bulky Samoan suggested, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Allura smiled at her Yellow Paladin. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Hunk. I'm sure both Blue and Lance will appreciate it. Shall we then?" She looked around the table, the others perking up at the idea.

Shiro smiled slightly at his friends. "Yeah, let's do it."

Keith grinned. "If we don't, I bet you Lance will lecture us on not keeping his girl in top form." He joked, and for the first time in weeks, genuine smiles split the faces of the Castle inhabitants.

It was easier said than done. Shiro couldn't get close to even a drop of the dried blood without having another panic attack. Pidge handled it a little better, but had to back out to scrub her skin excessively clean due to flashbacks.

In the end it had to be Hunk, Allura and Keith to be the main cleaning team, though Hunk had his own personal bucket to hurl in.

It was during repairs to the dashboard that Hunk found the video. He stopped it before it got too far in, and brought the others in to watch.

"G-guys, you need to see this." Hunk looked a bit horrified, and it made Shiro worried. Whatever he had found was obviously not good...

The monitor flicked on, Blue displaying a black screen with a triangle "Play" symbol. Hunk clicked a button, and the screen changed to show Lance, awake and alive, looking up at the ceiling.

" _Hey Blue, we recording?_ " The Blue Paladin looked down at faced the camera with a slight smile. " _Thanks girl._ "

The team was frozen, staring at the screen in a mix of shocked apathy. Lance spoke up again, and everyone strained forward to see better, hear more. What came next was nothing like what they were expecting.

Clearing his throat, he offered a trembly smile and a tired wave with his less injured right arm, and opened his mouth. “ _Hey guys, sorry you had to see me like this. I figured that since you won’t find me in time, I’d leave you all a few words before… Well, anyway, I just wanted to say that I’m gonna miss you all a whole lot, even though I dunno if you’ll care all that much. I decided to just get it all off my chest. Haha, get it? 'Cause I’m bleeding out from my… ahem, anyways, I have a few things to say to all of you, even Coran and Allura and the new Blue Paladin.”_ Lance turned away from the camera, coughing, spitting out something dark and thick onto the floor.

Shiro was horrified. What did Lance mean, "new Blue Paladin"??? Had he really thought he was going to die? That they'd let him down like that? And what was the part about not caring? He snapped from his thoughts when his name spilled from those cut lips.

" _First up, Shiro and Keith. Guys, I can’t even begin to explain how I feel about you two. Shiro, you’re so cool and the best leader even when you don’t think you are, and I admire you for that. You’re so strong, keeping us all together even after what the Galra did to you, and the way you look at Keith is something I’ve only ever dreamed of having. Guess that’s not happening, huh? And Keith, I’m sorry for being an asshole to you all the time, I just didn’t know how else to push my feelings down, so I just pushed you away instead, and I hate myself for doing that. I’ve never hated you, not even at the Garrison. Truth was, I was a little jealous because I would never be able to match up to you, so I made up a self proclaimed rivalry with you just to make myself feel a little better. I’m a huge selfish jerk, huh?_ ” The weak laugh barely registered to Shiro's shocked mind, Keith making a choked sound as he gripped the pilot seat tightly.

But Lance didn't stop there. " _Truth is Keith, your piloting skills are top notch and your fighting skills are just as impressive. I loved watching you train on the deck, since it seemed like a deadly dance only you could pull off. And to be honest, I actually really like your mullet. So when you and Shiro started dating, it killed me a little inside. Because I was- I am in love with both of you and I hate myself because I don’t want my feelings to ruin your relationship. I hope you both have a happy life after this whole Voltron thing. I love you guys, so very very much, and I had to say it now so I don’t have any regrets after this._ ” Shiro didn't even know he was crying until he felt the warm, wet droplets dropping off of his face. Lance sniffled onscreen and blinked back what he guessed were more tears. Keith was furiously wiping his own tears next to him.

" _Next message goes to Hunk. Buddy, you were the best friend I could have ever had, my dude. I’m gonna miss your baking and your hugs. Nobody can compare to a Hunk-Hug. We were the best legs, right? Tell Shay I said hi, and that I’m sorry I won’t be there when you finally ask her out. I know how much you wanted me there when you told her, since I’m- I was, your best wingman._ ” Lance shot the camera a wink and a shaky finger gun with his right arm, the left unresponsive and still. He turned to cough up more blood and cringed, obviously in pain from moving around even that much.

He seemed to listen to something, and patted the dash. “ _I- I’m okay Blue, I can keep going.”_

It was now Hunk's turn to cry, the big man scrubbing at his face in an attempt to stop the flood down his cheeks.

“ _Next up, is our resident gremlin Pidge. Man, you have no idea how many times I looked at you and saw one of my little sisters back home, running around and playing on the beach. I always thought of you as my little space sister, no joke. Which is always why I kept 'bothering you’ whenever you were working for too long. Hey, Hunk, you’ll make sure she eats and showers and sleeps for me, won’t you? We can’t have you tired out all the time Pidge, it’s not good for your health. How are you supposed to rescue your brother and your dad when you’re too tired to see straight?”_ Lance gave the camera a scolding look, the very picture of a mother upset with her child's habits.

Pidge was stunned, mouth opening and closing with water building up in her glassy eyes.

Lance didn't stop there, either. " _Point is, Pidge, you’ve gotta take better care of yourself now. I’m not gonna be there anymore to slam your laptop shut and make sure you get some food goo in that twiggy body of yours.”_ His face softened, you could almost feel his concern through the screen. “ _I hope you find your family soon, Pidge. I’m gonna miss you, even though I never really thought you’d ever miss me. It kinda hurt, really, every time you snapped at me to go away or to stop talking and let the intelligent people handle all the planning. I am smart, you just never really listened. Because that’s what I am, right? The team joke? The seventh wheel when you count Allura and Coran? Heh. Well, whoever you guys choose as the new Blue Paladin will hopefully be a lot better than I was.”_

Pidge clapped a hand over her mouth to bite back a sob, the muffled sound bringing her to her knees in the small, crowded cockpit, the trapped tears now flowing freely.

She couldn't believe he thought that way. She never meant to push him away like this, never meant to make him think she didn't care for him too. She never knew he was taking care of her, but she was such a brat she'd never thought of it that way. She was disgusted with herself, and _swore_ to make it up to Lance when he woke up.

The others were horrified as well, what did he mean by the "team joke, seventh wheel"? Didn't he know how important he was to the team? How cold and lonely the Castle seemed without his bright grin to light it up? How light the mood got when he entered a room?

" _Speaking of Allura and Coran, I’ve got some words for you too. Allura, I’m sorry for being a useless Paladin who’s only skill was flirting and flying Blue long enough to allow Voltron to happen. Actually, no, wait, I was even bad at those two things. Sorry. I only ever flirted with you to try and keep the weight of this whole war off everyone’s minds. I know it just annoyed you, and I’m real sorry about that. Well, at least you don’t have to deal with it anymore, right? And Coran, I’m glad I could call you my friend. You were like my weird space uncle, and I’m glad I got to meet someone like you.”_

Allura inhaled sharply and Coran looked five seconds away from a stroke.

Suddenly, Lance made a choked noise and turned his head to violently cough into his hand, the harsh movement tearing his wounds open further and blood dripping heavier and faster than earlier, some even leaking through his gloved hand to drip onto the floor.

Spitting out more of that dark liquid onto the ground, he turned back to the camera, wheezing heavily. Blood now trickled down his chin and he seemed even more exhausted than before. The sight made Shiro's heart twist painfully, the urge to reach out and take away the agony almost unbearable. But he couldn't change the past, no matter how much he wished. Keith actually let out a soft whine next to him, reaching over to grip his hand crushingly.

Lance looked at his hand and laughed quietly. " _Haha, oops… looks like my time is almost up, huh? Better finish this… So, Allura and Coran, I wanted to tell you that you’re both so strong and brave, because even though you miss Altea you’re still here, fighting against the Galra and being badasses and I’ve never seen either of you stop to take a moment to mourn your old home. I’m pathetic compared to that, I couldn’t even go a day without thinking of home or crying myself to sleep because I-I couldn’t remember what my mama’s voice sounded like or what my baby sister’s middle name was… yet you two still stand strong and I admire you so much for that. I’m sorry I was a failure, I couldn’t even get Blue back to you before I died._ ” Lance really _was_ crying now, rubbing at his face and smearing blood and tears across his face, slumping in his seat.

" _I, I don’t think I can stay awake much longer, so this last part will have to be quick. To the new Blue Paladin, take good care of my team for me, will you? Make sure Pidge doesn’t kill herself working to find her family, and drag Hunk from the kitchen if he’s been stress baking for too long, and if Keith is missing for too long go to the training deck and shut it down before he hurts too much, and if you find Shiro wandering the halls at night go take him to Keith’s room because he probably had a nightmare and needs to calm down._ ” Lance was babbling, still crying, and frankly so were both Alteans and humans.

" _Blue really likes it when you scrub her down after missions, and whatever you do don’t use the green soap in the cabinets on her, she hates that stuff. Move my stuff into storage if you move into my old room, so that my family can have it once the war is over and the others can get back to Earth. I don’t know what do do about the armor, it’s pretty much trashed, sorry about that, but my bayard- sorry, it’s yours now, I think it slid under the dash when me and Blue crashed…”_ He had to stop and cough up more blood before continuing, Shiro shaking his head because how could they even think of replacing Lance?

“ _A-and I ask that you tell my parents what h-happened to me. Tell my little siblings that I’m s-sorry I c-can’t play with them on the beach anymore, and t-that my big brother c-can have my tablet since I-I don’t need it anymore, and that I’m sorry I couldn’t come home…”_ Lance's eyes started to slide shut, and his body went lax, though he fought to keep his head up, trying to keep his eyes on the camera.

" _Goodbye, g-guys. H-hasta la later, r-right? L-lo siento, bye… B-Blue, shut it down, I-I can’t stay awake anymore…”_ the last thing onscreen was Lance slumping in his seat and closing his eyes before the screen switched off and ended the video.

* * *

Month three was entirely dedicated to fixing up Blue. Metal patched, systems repaired, wires fixed, blood cleaned away, everything polished to perfection. During the last week of Lance's healing, they all agreed to a sleepover in the med bay until their Blue Paladin woke up.

Shiro had been asleep until he heard Black purring at him to wake up. He blinked awake, looking around blearily, confused as to why he was up at this hour.

Then he noticed that the med pod holding Lance was empty, and the black blanket had been adjusted to cover him better. A brief wave of panic washed over him, cold and unsettling, and he hurried to wake up Keith.

" _Keith!_ Get up!" He hissed, his boyfriend stirring and blinking up at him with tired indigo eyes.

"Shiro, what the-" Keith muttered, rubbing his eyes confusedly, movements slurred with sleep.

"Lance is gone!" Shiro was five seconds away from a panic attack, the alarm on his face reflecting onto Keith's.

Black purred at him again, an image of Lance walking through the hangers flashing through his brain as he got to his feet.

"Black says he's on his way to see Blue." The leader of Voltron explained, helping the Red Paladin up. The fuss Shiro made woke the others, Pidge sitting upright and Hunk flailing as he woke up, Allura and Coran jolting awake as well.

"Wait what? What's going on?" Pidge yawned, stretching as Hunk sat up behind her.

"Uh, guys? Lance's pod wasn't supposed to open for another few days, wasn't it?" The Yellow Paladin asked, suddenly wide awake as he stared at the empty pod.

With one quick, alarmed look shared between both humans and Alteans, blankets were thrown aside and the entire team dashed down the Castle hallways towards the hangars, Keith having explained as they all got up to run.

Shiro didn't even think, relief sweeping through him in a cold wave as he saw Lance wide awake and turning around to meet them with surprise flooding his face as they all tackled him to the ground, Shiro using his human hand to cradle Lance's head before it could hit the floor and hurt him.

He'd had enough of that for a lifetime, thank you.

* * *

Shiro leaned against the doorframe, smiling at the scene in front of him. It had only been a few days since Lance had come out of the pod, and he'd been doing rather well for being ejected early.

They were all currently in the common room, the couches having been deconstructed by Hunk and Pidge for their cushions, a huge nest of blankets and pillows engulfing his team asleep on the floor.

Lance was sprawled out in the middle, Keith practically glued to the Blue Paladin's side, mostly draped over him with an arm around his waist, their legs tangled together. Pidge was clinging to Lance's other arm, one skinny limb wrapped around his upper arm and the other gripping his hand as if afraid he'd disappear if she let go. Hunk was spread eagle at Lance's feet, hand resting on his ankle, snoring lightly.

Shiro had gone to get another blanket, and moved over to drape it across Pidge's body. He crawled in behind Keith, pressing close and reaching to take Lance's hand in his own human one while he rested his arm over Keith's chest. He smiled at the light squeeze his hand received in turn, and settled down for bed.

He'd definitely protect this, was the last thought he had before he drifted off to sleep, in the comfort of his boyfriends and his family.

**Author's Note:**

> //ending this here! Wow that was a wild ride! I made Shiro cry! Yay! Actually not yay, but still , hope you enjoyed!


End file.
